As computing begins to grow beyond the desktop computer and mobile consumer electronics, the tactile input devices are slowly fading out, and the gestural interfaces, wherein specific hand, face and even eye gestures are used to control the computers are steadily moving in. In an effort to get this in his own style of things, Scott Saponas, a Phd student at the University of Washington has developed what he calls a Muscle-computer interface, which along with other things allows the user to play Guitar Hero without a guitar.
his lets you control the electronic devices without the need for physical touch, just like the other gestural interfaces of course, the difference here is that EMG electrodes directly sense the electrical signals in the arms to detect finger movements which mimic the button presses. Check the video from ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology and see the wide-range of applications the tech can be used for.
